This year's Nature Trail Days event at Hebron Elementary and Gilead Hill schools involved more than 30 volunteers, according to organizer Carolyn Aubin. There are a number of folks who return to help year after year. Bernie Noonan and Al Patel both have training through the Department of Environmental Protection, and have been helping out for years. But each event brings a new cadre of volunteers, as parents of current students get involved.

"And this year, we had a teacher who actually participated in the making of the original trail at Hebron Elementary return to help out," said Aubin. Sandee Brown has retired from teaching, but wanted to return to help with the event. "We had a great group of volunteers, as usual," said Aubin.

This is the twelfth year that Aubin has overseen the event, and the eighth year it's been held at Hebron Elementary. The theme this year was N.T.I., or Nature Trail Investigators, and Sherlock Holmes made several guest appearances. "The kids got to learn a bit about Sir Conan Doyle," said Aubin.

But, as usual, nature was the true star of the show. There were four different stations at Gilead Hill School. At Hebron Elementary School, there was the addition of a native American station focused on the practices and tools of some of the area's native peoples. "There were clues at each station, and the kids had to figure out what animals left the clues behind," said Aubin. At the deer station, for example, students examined antlers, hoofprints, and scat. "Once they'd successfully identified the animal, they got a stamp," said Aubin. As in years past, notebooks for the day were donated by Mark and Linda Young from the Forever Young Foundation. "There were almost 800 notebooks donated," said Aubin.

A couple of the stations required students to compare two animals. "At one, we had a wild turkey and an owl," said Aubin. Students had the opportunity to compare the animals' eggs, tracks and nests. At the beaver and black bear station, children examined beaver chews, compared footprints, and examined skulls, hides and scats.

"As always, I'm very grateful to all of the volunteers and the people at the schools who helped to make this happen," said Aubin.